US looks to pre-position gear Down Under

The US is considering keeping military equipment in Australia permanently to support the training of up to 2500 US Marines.

Acting Australian Defence Force chief Air Marshal Mark Binskin says huge costs are involved in shipping US equipment such as armoured vehicles to and from Australia.

It is also costly for Australia's quarantine service to check incoming equipment for foreign pests.

Singapore stores its own armoured vehicles in a warehouse at Rockhampton for use on the nearby Shoalwater Bay training area.

"I think you will see a similar thing for the US," Air Marshal Binskin told a Senate estimates committee hearing in Canberra on Wednesday.

Air Marshal Binskin said possible sites included the Northern Territory or South Australia, with Australian companies possibly having opportunities to service and support the vehicles.

The presence of US Marines in Australia is part of the enhanced Australia-US defence co-operation agreement announced by former Labor prime minister Julia Gillard and US President Barack Obama in November 2011.